No matter how careful we are or how organized, socks bide their time, plotting their great escape.

And don’t even get me started on the disappearing tactics of the itsy-bitsy toddler variety.

I’ve come to accept this as some sort of basic law of physics. As such, I’m no longer fighting it. I’m embracing it.

6 Uses for Mismatched Socks

1. Puppets

Baby socks make great finger puppets, and adult socks make excellent hand puppets. Pick ones with fun colors or patterns. Sew on embellishments, or if you’re needle-and-thread challenged like I am, use fabric glue.

Meet Bo and Peep, my adorably odd finger puppets.

2. Pet Toys

We started tying together our mismatchers to assuage Pavlov’s penchant for clothing articles of the pedalian variety. Overtime, our creation morphed and grew, further highlighting just how many socks we go through (which is kind of shocking).

For a cat, you could stuff them with a bit of catnip and sew or tie off the end.

3. Stuffed Animals

No, this isn’t the same as the puppet suggestion. It’s different. This one requires a bit of sewing (to close up the bottom) and a bit of stuffing. See? Totally different. But equally cute.

This is Bo and Peep’s big cousin, Toe.

4. Miniature Blankets

Is anyone else’s toddler obsessed with putting their toys to bed and playing “sleeping”? (Mama does like naps … ) Anyway, my daughter likes to tuck in her dolls and stuffed animals at night, but her poor Little People were blanketless. Crafty mom to the rescue! One sock. Scissors. Four blankets. Done.

Super slumber party in sushi blankets.

5. Gift Wrap

Am I crazy? Perhaps. But wouldn’t an adult sock (washed, of course) make the perfect holder for a bottle of wine, home spa essentials, or—now this will blow your mind—a package of new socks!? Just add a face or embellishments to make the packaging as intriguing as the package, if not more so.

You can use kids socks to wrap bubbles, clothes, matchbox cars, hairbows, sidewalk chalk, or again, more socks!

6. Fashion Trend

Before my husband was lucky enough to have me, he never matched his socks. (Just ask his sisters. It drove them bonkers.) He claims it’s because he was too cool to take the time to match them up. Or could it be laziness? Of course not …

So why not mismatch with wild abandon? Tell people it’s just the way you roll. Kids can certainly get away with this one; people will think it’s cute and creative. I’m sure some of you hipster parents could pull it off, too.

Photo courtesy of Joe Holst

Bonus idea: I saw this on Pinterest: When you get holes in the toes of your socks, cut the tops off and use them to peek out of the tops of your boots. I’m too pragmatic for this to appeal to me, but I’m sure some of you fashionistas will be all over it.

13 Responses to “6 Uses for Mismatched Socks”

Glad you got a kick out of it. 🙂 Once I started thinking of ideas, I couldn’t stop! Just now I was thinking you could keep the leg/ankle part of adults socks, sew a random mix together, and slouch them for fun kids’ leg warmers.

[…] Who doesn’t love Sandra Boynton? And each page has a clever new little something to do, from wiping the bathroom steam off the screen to making dresser drawers explode in a profusion of polka dot boxers and mismatched socks. […]